In this document
You'll learn what the Terrain section offers — elevation model selection, the terrain wireframe, and albedo data — how to change the elevation model to a default or imported profile, and how to use the slope exceedance visualization and the terrain collision highlight to spot unsuitable ground and physical overlaps in your design.
The Terrain properties define the ground surface your design sits on. Here you choose the elevation model the 3D scene is built from, display the terrain wireframe, review the site's albedo data, and switch on visualizations that highlight steep ground and physical collisions. You can access them in the Terrain section of the main navigation menu.
If you are looking for the site's reference point parameters and the terrain approximation method, see Site properties. For restricted areas, restricted lines, and shading objects present in the design, see Constraints.
Terrain properties
The site's terrain properties category allows you to do the following:
Choose the preferred elevation model and display the wireframe on the map. Alternatively, you can toggle the wireframe on/off using the View menu at the top of the 3D map. You can import your own terrain as a GeoTIFF file and the process is described in the Evaluate project imports page.
Change the slope exceedance visualization.
Examine and edit the albedo data. The albedo data values are identical to the Solargis Prospect Pro values.
PV systems also benefit from a terrain-following feature, where arrays are placed intelligently on the uneven ground, respecting the clearance and orientation of the modules.
Terrain-following design limitations:
No variable row spacing - only regular row spacing is supported.
Backtracking only available for planar surface segments.
Changing the elevation model
Note: The default elevation model is Copernicus DSM, and the wireframe is turned off.
Changing the elevation model in the Energy system designer allows you to simulate your project on the real terrain profile instead of a default or simplified surface. This helps you achieve more accurate shading analysis, optimize the layout for uneven ground, and improve the precision of energy yield estimates.
To change the elevation model:
While inside the Energy system designer, select "Terrain" from the main menu.
Click "Change" in the General section.
In the pop-up, switch to the "Imported terrain data" tab.
Select the preferred terrain elevation model and click "Apply".
The selected elevation model will be applied to the 3D scene. The example image shows how switching to a custom terrain profile affects the shading of the surrounding forest on the installation site.
Available elevation models
Default terrain models:
No elevation data - The elevation data is uniformly distributed across a surface to illustrate topographic features in a simplified manner.
Copernicus DSM ~30m (1 arcsec) - A high-resolution digital surface model with a spatial resolution of approximately 30 meters (1 arcsecond), representing the Earth's surface including natural features like vegetation and built structures such as buildings and infrastructure. It is characterized by its vertical accuracy of less than 4 meters and horizontal accuracy of less than 6 meters.
SRTM GL1 DEM ~30m (1 arcsec) - Offers resolution of approximately 30 meters (1 arcsecond) derived from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. It provides a global representation of the Earth's terrain, capturing elevation data that includes both natural and man-made features. This model is particularly useful for various applications such as geographic information systems (GIS), environmental monitoring, and land-use planning, offering a vertical accuracy of about 16 meters in forested areas and 6 meters in open terrains.
Solargis DEM ~90m (3 arcsec) - Offers resolution of approximately 90 meters (3 arcseconds), providing elevation data primarily for land surfaces while also capturing some effects from vegetation cover. This model is suitable for regional terrain analysis, such as assessing shading impacts from surrounding topography.
Imported terrain data: Enables you to use any of the uploaded terrain models to improve accuracy. Learn how to upload custom terrain data in the Evaluate project imports guide.
Slope exceedance visualization
You can use slope exceedance visualizations to help you identify areas with big slopes that would not be suitable for installations. To set the exceedance threshold, switch to "Single threshold" and enter the required angle. The map will automatically display areas exceeding your slope angle threshold.
Tip: You can turn this feature on/off by pressing "U" on the keyboard.
Terrain collision highlight
The terrain collision highlight is a real-time validation that identifies physical overlaps between PV tables, terrain, and inverter units. It provides immediate visual feedback directly after every design change.
